1. Field of the Invention: The invention resides in the field of water carbonators and more particularly relates to those devices suitable for use in a water cooler for domestic use.
2. Description of the Prior Art: Water carbonation systems for home or restaurant use are known in the prior art. The purpose of these devices is to carbonate cooled water for the preparation of drinks directly at the site of use. Examples are found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,103,479, Magee, showing a refrigerator using a single motor for cooling compression and water delivery; U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,994, Mabb, disclosing a domestic refrigerator having a carbonation system housed therein; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,809, Kaneyashi, describing a hot and cold beverage dispensing machine.
There are certain disadvantages to carbonation units installed directly within a refrigerator. These include the amount of volume occupied by the water reservoir and other components reducing food storage capacity, no ability for independent temperature control, internal pressurization and consequential door opening should the system leak, and the exposure of stored food during maintenance operations.
The beverage dispensang machine noted above overcomes these difficulties by providing a self contained unit but is oriented in size and design to commercial utilization. The present invention improves upon the combination of apparatus disclosed in that patent by first transferring water to be carbonated directly from the cold water reservoir to the carbonation chamber and second by providing a unique carbonation chamber having among other features an internal baffle to prevent turbulence in the discharged product.